Towing dolly



'.Jun'e 17, 1930. l.. D. NlLsoN .1,764,971

TOWING DOLLY Filed July 16, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1' u@ w@ w Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES Litton FACTURING COMPANY, F ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA I 'roWING noLLYV Application filed July 16, 1928. Serial No. 293,157.

The object of my inventionv istoprovide a towingv dolly of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide a towing dolly in which steerable wheels are mounted on the endsV of an axle, a tow pole being pivoted to the axle and operatively connected with the steerable wheels, whereby they are steered upon pivotal movement' of the towling pole with relation tothe axle.

Still a further object is to provi'detwo points of Connection with the axle of the automobile being towed, whereby thestrains uponthe towing dolly are better distributed and the weight is carried in a more practical manner than on a bolster type of towing dolly.l V

Still another object is to provide a pair of axle receiving members adapted to receive V either the front or the rear axle of a disabled car, such receiving members being located adjacent the wheels of the dolly and being reversible, whereby the weight may lbe carried either ahead or back of the towing dolly axle. y

lith these,v and other objectsk in view', my invention consists in the construction, ,arrangement and combination ofthe various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more 'fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and yillustrated in the accompanying drawings. Although the invention is suceptible of a variety of embodiments, it is'unnecessary to fully describe and illustratefmore than .one ,in order to give a vfull understanding of the inventionrboth from its structural and functional standpoints. Accordingly,`l have illustrated a preferred and 'desirable embodiment of the invention in theaccompanying drawings, in'which.:

' Figure 1 isa plan view of'my device illustrating it connected with the rear axle of a service car.

Figure 2 is aside elevation of the same.

Figure `Bis an enlarged view taken on the indicated line 3-3 otFigure 2, illustrating parts of the dolly in section and other parts in rear elevation.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken y,on the line 4 4 of Figure 3; and

.Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3. f

In theaccompanying drawings, I have used the reference character A tol indicate generally the axle of a towing dolly. Onthe ends ot the axle A, wheels B are mounted. A tow pole C is connected with the axle A for pulling the dolly behind a service car.

kThe axle A comprises a casting l0 and a pair of flat bars 12. The bars l2 are secured to the casting 10 by means ot ybolts 14. A pivot bolt-.16 extends verticallythrough the casting 10. f f

minating in spaced arms 2O is pivotally mounted with respect to the axle A; Such pivotal mounting is provided for by the pivot bolt 16l extending through openings 22 formed in the arms 2O of the yoke `18.

A tubular tow pole member 24 extends into a socket 26 in the yoke 18 and is held therein by a bolt 28. i

yA second tubular tow pole member 30 extends telescopically into Vthe `member 24, whereby it may be adjusted relative thereto for. adjusting the overall ylength otthetow pole C. v Provision is made forthe adjustment ot vthe tow pole member 30 relative to 'the member 24 by means of a plurality ot' `pairs of spaced openings 32 inthe member 3() anda'pair of openings 84 lformed in thetow polemember 24. `Any desired pair of openings 32 may be brought into register with the pair of openings` 34 and a'removable pin A yoke 18 having a biturcated end ter` 36 inserted through the openings Vthusv Yaligned for maintaining thel longitudinal adjustment of the tow pole C.

' The forward end of th tow pole member 30 has received therein a yoke 38. T he yoke 38V may be secured to the member 30 by means of a rivet 40. v A A second yoke 42 havingfa pair of attaching arms 44 is secured to the rear axle housing 46 of the service car or theycar towing the disabled car. The'arms 44 of the yoke 42 may be astenedto the housing 46 by the bolts 48,

which ordinarily hold the two halveszof the diderential housing together.w

- 46 on the service car.

Althoughl have shownone type of connection for the tow pole to the service car, it will be obvious that other types might also be provided, whereby the towing dolly' may be satisfactorily pulled behind the service car.

On each end of the axle A, a yoke member 56 is secured by means of bolts 57. The yoke member 56 is provided with an upper arm 58 and a lower arm 60, both of which are provided with vertically, aligned openings 62. A spindle pin 64 is rotatably mounted in the openings 62 of the arms 58 and 60.

Secured to the spindle pin 64 by means of a pin 66 is a spindle 68. The spindle 68 has an enlarged portion 70 extending through the bore 72 of a spindle member 74. The

, spindle member 74 serves to position the spindle 68 and the spindle pin 64 with respect to the arms 58 and 60 of the yoke member 56.

Each spindle member 74 is provided with a steering arm 76. A bolt 7 8 is mounted in each arm 7,6l and the ends of a link are pivotally mounted on bushings 82 on ,the bolts 78. At the center of the link 80 a bore 84 is formed to receive a bushing86. rlhe bushing 86 is mounted on the'bolt 28 of the tow pole C.

VEach supporting w ieelB consists of ahub 88, a riinQO and a tire 92. Within the hub 88, roller bearings 94 of the thrust type are mounted. The outer races ofthe bearings 94 contact with an end plate 96 bolted to the inner end ofthe hub 88 and with a hub cap 98 bolted to the outer end of the hub 88.

The inner races. of the bearings 94 bear against a shoulder 100 formed on the spindle 68 and against a washer 102 held in position with respect to the spindle 68V by a nut 104. AsleeveV 106 is Vinterposed between thetwo Y inner races of the bearings. Y

The tires 92 are of the ordinary solid lrubber construction and may be held in position by means of rim lugs 108 and lug bolts 110. If desired, pneumatic tires can be substitutec for the solid rubber tires 92.

The arms 58 ,ot the yoke members 56 terminate in horizontally arranged supporting plates 112. Bolted by means of the bolts 114 to the supporting plates 112 are axle receiving Amembers 116. Each axle receiving` member 116'isein the shape of a yoke having a pair of spaced arms118 and a depression 120. The trontaxle of a disabled car may be positioned in the depression 120 or the rear axle housing amy be positioned between the arms 118 of the Vaxle receiving Y member 116 depending on whether the front wheels or the rear wheels of the car are disabled. In the event that the rear axle is provided with truss rods, such rods will be received in the depressions 120.

It will be noted that the arms 118 and the depressions 120 are off-center with respect to the spindle pins 64 and consequently the axle A. Therefore the load of the disabled car may be carried ahead of the axle Yas shown in Figure 4 by the full line position of thefaxle receiving member 116. f

In some cases, it is desirable to carry the load back of the axle A, and in such an event the axle receiving members 116 may be unbolted from the Asupporting plate 112 and thereafter rebolted to the plate in reverse position,` as shown in dotted lines.

Practical operation In the operation ot' my' device, the yoke.

after such axle has been jacked up. The 'towe ing dolly may then be connected with the lservice car by remserting the removable pm 52 in the bearing member50. In order to do this, the pin 86 may' be left out of the tow pole C and the tow pole may then be adjusted as to length depending on -whether or not a short or along tow pole is desired.A

The weight ot the disabled car lis carried very close to the supporting wheels B, which considerably lessens the strain caused by such weight on the'axle A. The axle A may there- `fore be comparatively light in construction,

whereby the entire'dolly is somewhat lightened in weight. l I have overcome the objectionableV construction of towing dollies wherein the axle pivots with relation to the disabled car; This is accomplished by the tow pole C being pivoted with respect to the axle A, wheref upon the service car turning a corner vwill swing the tow pole. Such swinging movement is transmitted toY the steering armsv 76 of the spindle members 74 for the purpose of swinging the spindles 68 and thereby steering the wheels B. A Some changes may be made in the arrangement and Vconstruction of the 'various parts of my'towing dolly, without depart-ing `from the real'spirit and purposeof my invention,

andit is my intention to cover byv my claims,

any modified forms of structurev or'use of mechanical equivalents, which'may be' reasonably included within their scope.

l claim as my invention:

1. A towing dolly lcomprisingV an axle member formed of two flat bars, yoke members secured between said bars at each end of said axle member, steerable wheels carried4 by said yoke members, a iller member` secured between said bars at the center thereof, a tow pole pivoted to said filler member, means on said dolly for causing steering movement of said wheels upon pivotal movement of said tow pole, and axle receiving members mounted on said yoke members adjacent said steerable wheels.

2. In a towing dolly, an axle member, a tow pole pivoted to the center thereof, a yoke member secured to each end of said axle member, a spindle member oscillatably mounted in each of said yoke members, a wheel and a steering arm on each spindle member, an axle receiving member on each end of said axle member and carried by said yoke members and steering connection means between said steering arms and said tow pole.

3. In a device of the character disclosed, an axle member, a tow pole pivoted thereto, yoke members secured to the ends of said axle member, spindle members pivotally mounted in said yoke members, wheels on said spindle members axle receiving mem bers secured to said yokemembers, and operative means of connection between said tow pole and said spindle members.

4. In a towing dolly, an'axle member comprising a pair of bars, a tow pole pivoted to the center thereof, a spindle mounting secured between said bars at each end of said axle member, a spindle oscillatable within each spindle mounting, a wheel and a vsteering arm on each spindle and an axle receivingmember on each of said spindle mountings and located above the oscillatably mounted spindle.

5. In a device of the character disclosed, an axle member, a tow pole pivoted thereto, spindle mountings secured to the ends of said axle member, spindle members pivotally mounted in said spindle mountings, wheels on said spindle members, axle receiving members secured to said spindlel mountings, and operative means of connection between said tow pole and said spindle members.

Des Moines, Iowa, June 27, 1928.

LEONARD D. NILSON. 

